Childhood sweethearts' IF storyline: "Stop laughing, you fool."
Golden sunlight streamed in through the window.
The sun's rays landed on half of the capybara's face; it didn't feel hot, but rather warm.
Guan Yue's shoulder felt a little sore, but it was much more comfortable than the window.
Moreover, Guan Yue had that pleasant cedar scent on him.
It's icy cold.
But at the same time, it is inclusive.
You can accept him completely.
The bus wasn't very comfortable; it would sway and bump along the way.
But Pei Xi slept soundly, keeping his eyes closed and never waking up.
For nearly two hours, Guan Yue maintained the same posture.
He tilted his head slightly, and the light and shadow through the car window fell on the capybara's delicate, slender face.
There was a layer of very fine downy hair on her cheeks, which appeared dense and translucent under the light and shadow.
Um.
The capybara rested peacefully on his shoulder, sleeping soundly.
He liked these moments; even when his shoulders ached and went numb from being pressed down, he didn't want to break free.
Until you can see the school playground not far away from the window.
Guan Yue finally spoke, waking Pei Qi from his shoulder.
Pei Xi's consciousness returned a beat late, and she first lifted her head from the shoulder of the person next to her.
The moment I stood up, a sharp, intense pain shot through the right side of my neck.
He quickly touched it with his hand, massaging it: "It's so sore... Is it there yet? So fast."
The boy next to me said casually, "It's been almost two hours."
But it was quickly followed by a short, sharp sound.
Pei Qi turned his head and saw Guan Yue slouching over his left shoulder.
It was the shoulder I had just leaned on while sleeping.
He kept pressing down on that shoulder for almost two hours.
Pei Qi reached out her hand, feeling embarrassed, to massage Guan Yue's shoulders: "Let me massage you, they must be sore."
Guan Yue didn't speak, but silently lowered his hand, giving him room to maneuver.
Pei Qi began to massage Guan Yue diligently, continuing until the bus had already entered the campus.
The two then got off the car one after the other.
Pei Xi's activity space has been very limited for the past ten years or so. Before he was sent to his third aunt's house, he and his parents lived in a more remote town. After he went with his third aunt, his activity range was limited to the old town of He City.
As for the school, I've always attended the same one.
If his grades hadn't been decent, he probably would have just attended the high school section of the school in that small town.
Of course I wouldn't come to this, such a beautiful and grand No. 1 Middle School.
"Wow, this is huge, Guan Yue. Where's the dorm?" Pei Xi, pulling a large duffel bag and dragging a suitcase in her other hand, stood there bewildered.
Guan Yue: "Don't you need to go to your class to report first?"
As the boy spoke, he naturally reached out and took the luggage from the capybara's hand.
"Thank you, Guan Yue." Pei Qi smiled, revealing a pair of dimples.
"My third aunt specifically told me to take good care of you." The boy said, picking up his luggage and walking forward. As he took a step, the corners of his lips turned up.
Unfortunately, we didn't see any capybaras.
Pei Xi was assigned to Class 8 of the first year of high school.
After finishing the report, he moved his belongings to his dormitory and started making his bed.
Guan Yue also went to tidy up his things, but he quickly finished and came to find him.
Pei Xi still didn't have much of an appetite during the meal.
I had already vomited everything out of my stomach by the afternoon, and the food in the cafeteria looked very tempting.
However, he still didn't feel hungry.
So I just ordered two dishes and found a seat with the tray in my hand.
He has a lot of money in his meal card now; he just topped it up.
His briefcase still contained a lot of cash.
He should do as his aunt said and buy a lot of things; he should order ten dishes for one meal.
But there was nothing.
He didn't want to eat at all.
Guan Yue sat down with his tray in hand. He noticed that the capybara's plate opposite him contained only a bean sprout and a vegetable. He frowned slightly and asked, "Are you going to become a monk?"
“Hmm…” Pei Qi paused, momentarily failing to grasp Guan Yue’s dry humor.
The next moment, a braised pork chop with scallions was placed on top of his rice.
The pork chop was soaked in sauce, glistening with oil, and exuding a fragrant aroma of scallions.
He remembered that Guan Yue didn't eat spices like scallions and garlic, so why would he order this pork chop?
Before the capybara could even ask, Guan Yue explained, "I only realized it was braised pork chop with scallions after I ordered it."
"Oh, no wonder." Pei Qi took a bite of the pork chop.
He really likes to eat seasonings like scallions and cilantro, so he found the pork chop quite delicious.
While eating, Guan Yue took out his meal card from his school uniform pocket and tossed it to the capybara.
"Let's have dinner together later."
Pei Xi took two big bites of meat and immediately felt full in her chewing muscles: "Are we at the same break time?"
Guan Yue: "You'll arrive a little earlier than me, so you can buy me food."
"Oh, so what do you want to eat? Tell me in advance." Pei Qi put the meal card away and put it in her pocket along with her own meal card.
The boy wasn't sure if his words sounded harsh, but he couldn't think of a better way to express it: "I won't let you buy it for nothing; you can use my card to pay for your meals."
Pei Xi belatedly realized it, and it wasn't until after they finished their meal and walked side by side to the teaching building that he finally understood.
"Guan Yue, are you worried that I don't have any money on my meal card?" The capybara stopped in its tracks.
Guan Yue also stopped in his tracks.
He knew that capybaras were usually slow-witted, but given their age, he didn't want them to feel like they were being given charity.
"I……"
He was about to say no when the capybara interrupted him, saying, "I ordered two vegetarian dishes today, but I still can't eat much. It's not that I don't have money; I have a lot of money stored in my account."
It's like they're trying to prove they're not short of money.
Pei Qi took out her phone, which she had just inserted a SIM card into, from her pocket, turned it on, and handed it to Guan Yue: "Let me tell you, my family has struck it rich."
Guan Yue glanced down at his phone a few times, then looked up at Pei Qi.
"This is a new phone my parents gave me, and they also gave me a wad of cash." As he spoke, he pulled out several large bills from another pocket. "Really, I don't need any more money."
Yes, he went from someone who lacked everything to someone who, at least, didn't lack money.
It should be something to be happy about.
But he couldn't bring himself to smile.
"Oh, by the way, give me your phone number." He said, opening his phone's contacts and creating a new contact. "You're the first contact I added, Guan Yue."
The boy stared at him, his gaze heavy and somber: "188..."
Pei Qi tapped the number Guan Yue reported on the touchscreen, entered Guan Yue's name in pinyin, and then confirmed and saved.
“You’ll answer my call, right?” the capybara said, as if talking to itself. “My mom never answers… I don’t even want to call her anymore.”
"I will answer."
Guan Yue calmly and slowly replied with three words.
Each word was hammered into the capybara's ears.
Then, the capybara's ears, which had been drooping, suddenly stood up, and its eyes, which had been gray, began to shine with beams of light.
“Your parents…” Guan Yue carefully chose his words before uttering them.
He had heard Pei Qi mention long ago that his parents would come back to see him off when school started.
But clearly, no.
"He didn't come." The capybara shrugged, its tone seemingly full of indifference.
It's that kind of deliberate indifference.
Pretend not to care.
Then, the capybara's ears drooped down again, and it laughed and cried at the same time: "They always do this, how come I'm not used to it yet?"
They stood by the basketball court opposite the cafeteria. It was the beginning of the semester, and no one had come to play basketball yet. Only a few streetlights were lit up forlornly.
Guan Yue had somehow risen to a new height, reaching a level that was difficult for him to surpass.
They stood under a dim streetlamp, the light casting long shadows.
"Stop laughing." After a long while, Guan Yue, who was beside him, finally spoke, "Fool."
"Hmm." Why call him an idiot?
He is clearly very smart; the teachers all say he is the smartest kid in town.
A clever kid, in a positive sense.
"Why should we get used to others breaking their promises?" The boy's eyes were deep and his features were exquisite, with thick, curled eyelashes that were particularly expressive.
Guan Yue's pupils were still brown, somewhat like a foreigner, but the brown color wasn't as pronounced.
Pei Xi fell in love with these rather unique and beautiful eyes when she was very young.
I still love it right now.
“There’s no need to get used to it; the problem lies with them,” the boy said, his expression serious.
The capybara was somewhat stunned, then nodded.
"They didn't come with you, so I'm not here." Guan Yue didn't know why he said such a cheesy thing, and he quickly coughed twice after saying it. "I'm also studying here."
"It's good that you're here, Guan Yue," the capybara said, its eyes seemingly glistening with tears. "It's good to have you here."
The autumn wind is blowing.
It was a little cool, with the delicate fragrance of osmanthus.
Pei Qi had rushed to the cafeteria without a coat, and the wind made him cough twice.
Then, Guan Yue handed over his school uniform jacket: "Don't get it dirty."
“No need…” Pei Xi did not take it.
The boy frowned slightly: "You caught a cold and fever as soon as you arrived. If you can't keep up with the classes, you'll be expelled."
"No, I won't fall behind." The capybara turned and walked out of the basketball court.
Suddenly, his shoulders slumped.
Guan Yue draped the clothes over his shoulders from behind, then quickly withdrew his hands without lingering for long.
The capybara felt its nose filled with the scent of cedar once again.
He grabbed his coat and pulled it forward, making sure it didn't fall off and get dirty.
"Let's go, it's time to study." Guan Yue was only wearing a thin short-sleeved shirt and walked briskly forward.
Pei Qi obediently followed the boy forward.
Passing through a dark haze.
High school coursework is indeed more difficult and covers a much larger amount of material than junior high school coursework.
However, Pei Xi adapted quickly. Although she was younger than her classmates, she was the quickest to react.
“Hey deskmate, you always seem so silly, but you betrayed me like that.” Pei Qi’s new deskmate, Zhang Pingyang, looked at their weekly math quiz.
He is 70, and Pei Xi is 137.
Pei Xi was currently reviewing the wrong questions on the test paper. Except for the last one, the rest were all calculation errors.
"No wonder they all say you skipped a grade, you really are." Zhang Pingyang thought they were teasing his little deskmate for not having a beard yet, but it turned out he really did skip a grade.
“That’s right,” Pei Qi replied, then noticed Zhang Pingyang’s paper with many red circles. “You didn’t get to the root of the problem.”
Zhang Pingyang: "How do I drive it?"
“It’s just…” Pei Qi deliberately used a different pencil and drew some pictures on the test paper, “Look…”
After he gave an explanation, Zhang Pingyang covered his head and said, "Wait... I need to grill some food."
Pei Qi was amused: "Okay, then you can grill it some more."
Mathematics is not actually the capybara's strong suit; he actually prefers humanities subjects. It's probably because Guan Yue tutored him in a lot of math during winter and summer vacations that his logical thinking has improved a bit.
Then came the first monthly exam.
Pei Xi ranked first in her class and seventh in the entire grade without any pressure.
He ran up to Guan Yue and begged for a reward: "Um, how about buying me a hamburger?"
No, he doesn't lack money for hamburgers at all.
"No, no... let me think about it some more."
Guan Yue: "..."
"And you, Guan Yue, did you also have your monthly exams? What did you get?" Pei Qi said. "I'll treat you to anything you want."
The boy suddenly raised his eyes and stared at him with an indescribable look.
Pei Qi pursed her lips. Her gaze wasn't exactly angry, but it made him feel uneasy.
"What's wrong? Did you do poorly on the test? It's okay, everyone makes mistakes sometimes."
Hmm, this idiom seems a bit odd to fit in.
Guan Yue: "…………"
As Pei Xi spoke, she patted his shoulder reassuringly, saying, "The pressure is high in the second year of high school... It's okay."
"I have a guaranteed admission." The man glanced at him indifferently.
"Ah, when did this happen?" Pei Qi exclaimed in surprise.
Guan Yue: "After the last competition, there were guaranteed admission spots at Jingnan University."
"That's great!" The capybara's eyes lit up; it was genuinely happy for him.
"I haven't decided yet." Guan Yue didn't dare look into those eyes for too long. "What about you? Where do you want to go to university?"
"I haven't decided yet." He doesn't have a favorite city. As for his major, he's interested in history, but he hasn't decided what to do in the future.
Guan Yue: "Are you going to southern Beijing?"
"Hmm." Pei Qi began to think.
South of Beijing.
What's in southern Beijing?
All he knew was that Beijing South was a first-tier city in China and one of the first cities to be connected by high-speed rail.
It must be very prosperous.
But he didn't feel anything special.
The capybara blinked: "Let me think about it some more."
Guan Yue nodded and said "Mm".
Pei Xi: "Have you already decided to go to Jingnan?"
Guan Yue: Not yet.
“Then let me know when you’ve made your decision.” Pei Qi kicked a small stone at her feet.
Guan Yue paused for a moment: "What do you think if I said I want to go abroad?"
"I think?" the capybara asked blankly. "I think studying abroad is great too, it depends on what you want to study, Guan Yue."
Guan Yue: "I want to be a doctor."
That was the first time Pei Xi learned that Guan Yue wanted to be a doctor.
He admired this greatly.
Not just anyone can be a doctor!
Pei Xi: "Okay, then I can ask you to treat me when I go to the hospital."
Guan Yue: "Can't we just hope things go better for ourselves?"
"Anyway, Guan Yue, you can cure me." The capybara laughed.
It's even more intense than today's sunshine.
He wasn't being overly solicitous; he genuinely believed it.
Anyway, no matter what, Guan Yue can cure him.
That year, Pei Qi was a first-year high school student, and Guan Yue was a second-year high school student.
That winter.
Pei Xi's mother has finally returned.
However, they did not intend to stay here for long, but rather to take Pei Qi to the south for the New Year.
Pei Qi remembered that the last time she saw Jiang Shulin, she was probably still in the first year of junior high school.
The woman looked exactly the same as I remembered, and even a little younger.
Her hair was styled in the latest fashion, and she wore a dazzling pearl necklace.
The news spread quickly throughout the town.
It is said that Pei Qi's family has become rich, and those with money can buy the whole town.
The latter half of this sentence contains an element of exaggeration.
When the two met again, Pei Xi wasn't as excited as he had imagined. Perhaps it was because he had grown up and it would seem strange to throw himself into a woman's arms again.
It could also be because...
It's been such a long time since we last met.
If this goes on for too long, he might not even remember what Jiang Shulin looks like anymore.
Jiang Shulin brought a lot of designer clothes and shoes, as well as some health supplements, to give to her third aunt.
Right now, she's taking off the shoes for Pei Qi to try on.
"You've grown quite a bit taller, and your shoe size must have changed a lot too. I asked your aunt, and she said you're not even 40 yet?" The woman handed him a pair of designer sneakers. "These are size 39, are they too small?"
“No, I’m a size 39.” Pei Qi pursed her lips, looking at the finely crafted shoes beside her feet.
"Then try them on quickly." The woman stood aside, waiting.
Pei Xi bent down to change her shoes.
“Your feet are small. Your younger brother is already 34, and he’ll probably be over 40 by your age.” Jiang Shulin naturally mentioned Pei Xi.
Pei Xi is Pei Xi's younger brother.
She was seven or eight years younger than him.
Actually, he was born not long after he was sent to live with his third aunt.
I don't know if the shoe size is wrong.
Pei Xi felt uneasy, a bit uncomfortable.
But I can't quite put my finger on what's bothering me.
Jiang Shulin is on the phone right now, talking to Pei Xi.
The woman spoke softly, yet with a touch of sternness, urging her youngest son on the phone to hurry up and do his homework.
Pei Qi listened, her eyes fixed on the sneakers on her feet.
They don't fit.
They just don't fit.
The woman was still on the phone.
He didn't know how long he had been staring at the shoes.
"How is it? Is it okay to wear?" Jiang Shulin finally hung up the phone and turned to ask Pei Qi beside him.
Pei Xi lowered her eyes and nodded: "It's alright."
"Okay, I bought you a lot more, remember to wear them." The woman said, walking over and patting his head, "You've grown so tall."
Pei Qi felt her eyes welling up with tears at her mother's sudden closeness.
Aside from being unfamiliar with the place.
It's a genuine longing.
But he didn't let himself actually cry.
That's so embarrassing.
He's a high school student, after all, and he'll be an adult soon.
“Come with me to Nancheng for the New Year in a few days. Your younger brother is also clamoring to see you.” The woman slowly withdrew her hand. “After the New Year, do you want to go to school in Nancheng?”
“Studying in the South City?” Pei Qi was taken aback.
“Yes, transfer schools.” The woman nodded, her gaze falling on the boy’s almond-shaped eyes. “Your father and I have been traveling between China and abroad for the past two years. Now things are more stable, and our company is located in Nancheng. We were thinking of bringing you back here so that we can be a family reunion.”
"I..." Of course he wanted to be with his parents, but he was a little reluctant to leave.
Here are my third aunt, my little sister... Fresh bamboo shoots in spring, and snow pears in winter.
There were custard buns made by Aunt Luo, and potato pancakes made by Third Aunt...
Most importantly, this place is related to Vietnam.
"What? You don't want to?" Jiang Shulin asked, his expression changing slightly.
"No rush, take your time to think it over. Come back with me for the New Year first."
Pei Xi licked his lips and nodded.
The day before he set off for Nancheng, he made a special trip to see Guan Yue.
Aunt Luo and Uncle Guan thoroughly cleaned the small building inside and out and decorated it with festive decorations for the New Year.
Pei Xi climbed the wooden stairs of the small villa and stood in front of Guan Yue's bedroom door with practiced ease.
He knocked on the door.
A muffled voice came from inside the door: "Mom, I don't want to eat..."
Pei Xi turned the doorknob and stuck his head inside.
Guan Yue was looking at questions at his desk when he heard the noise and couldn't help but frown.
He turned his head to the side.
A round head peeked through the crack in the door.
"Why are you here?" The boy's brow suddenly relaxed. "Come in."
"Is it strange that I came?" Pei Qi said, pushing open the door and walking in. "Guess what I brought you?"
Guan Yue noticed that the capybara had its hands behind its back: "What?"
Pei Qi was still keeping him in suspense: "Guess."
Guan Yue: "The exam paper?"
"Why would I give you a test paper? I think you're addicted to doing practice questions." Pei Qi pouted, deciding it was better to just say it directly.
Then he took out the dark box from behind him: "Your birthday present."
"My birthday is next week, whose birthday are you mistaken for?" Guan Yue's expression changed slightly.
“It’s yours, I know it’s next week.” Pei Qi raised her chin. “I’m giving it to you in advance.”
Guan Yue: "Why bring it up early? It's so boring."
"Because I'm leaving tomorrow." Pei Xi pouted, trying to keep her tone light. "So I'm giving this to you first. You can't say I deliberately didn't celebrate your birthday."
Guan Yue listened, his pen, which had been twirling between his fingers, suddenly stopped: "Go? Where to?"
“Hmm…” Pei Qi lowered his eyes, looking at the velvet box in his hand, “Going to the South City for the New Year.”
Then, several seconds passed, and Guan Yue remained silent.
Finally, at the fifteenth second, the boy opened his mouth and said in a cold voice, "Aren't you spending the New Year here?"
The capybara nodded: "Yeah... my mom said she'd take me there this year."
Guan Yue's cold expression lessened considerably when he heard that it was the capybara's mother who had invited it to celebrate the New Year.
He knew how much this capybara missed its parents.
His psychology became somewhat contradictory and distorted.
He knew that the capybara would be very happy to spend the New Year with his parents, and he was happy for him.
But the thought of the capybara leaving him was unbearable.
Capybaras don't celebrate the New Year with you.
There was a strange force inside me, tearing and struggling.
Pei Qi wanted to ease the tension, so she took the initiative to start another topic: "Aren't you going to open it and see what's inside?"
He pushed the box in front of Guan Yue.
Guan Yue also opened the box.
Inside the box is an exquisite, youthful mechanical watch with a slightly raised edge on the crystal, a concentric circle pattern on the independent dial, and a bold orange-red second hand.
The most unique feature is that his initials are engraved on the inside of the dial.
"So, do you like it?"
He knew that whenever the capybara made that face, it was asking for praise.
"Yes, it's fine," he replied, picking up the watch face and gently stroking the smooth surface with his fingertips.
"Ahem." Pei Qi cleared his throat deliberately for tactical reasons. "Happy birthday, Guan Yue. May every minute and every second of your life be under your own control."
Okay, okay.
That seems a bit too awkward.
He shouldn't have listened to Zhang Pingyang and gone astray.
Oh dear.
Guan Yue, in particular, showed no reaction whatsoever.
This is even more awkward.
The capybara didn't know if its throat was genuinely dry or if it was just too embarrassed to hold back its cough.
He coughed several times in a row.
Guan Yue's gaze was intense, as if he wanted to burn him.
I guess he was so embarrassed he was furious.
Pei Xi dared not raise her eyes any further.
Until Guan Yue spoke up: "Help me put it on."
Pei Xi obediently did as she was told, took the watch, and wrapped it around Guan Yue's wrist, which was covered with pale blue veins.
Guan Yue isn't very thin, but he probably has a habit of exercising, so his body fat percentage is relatively low. That's why the veins on his wrists and the backs of his hands are very prominent.
He discovered it a long time ago.
Moreover, Guan Yue's hands are also very beautiful, with good proportions, long fingers, and slightly protruding knuckles.
He was staring blankly at Guan Yue's hand.
"When are you coming back?" The boy's question brought the capybara back to reality.
Outside the window, the cold wind rustled through the leaves, and the second hand on the clock face completed a regular circle.
Pei Qi didn't intend to hide it from Guan Yue, so she gritted her teeth and said the truth: "Maybe he won't be coming back."
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